Galesburg District 205 and teachers reach tentative agreement

GALESBURG — The teachers' strike has ended, representatives from the Board of Education and Galesburg Education Association announced early Thursday morning.

After nearly 17 hours of mediation — from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 3 a.m. Thursday — both sides reached a tentative agreement. Should the union membership vote to ratify the contract during an 8 a.m. meeting today, students will return to classes Friday.

Today will be held as a teacher institute day.

A small audience of student athletes applauded when Bart Arthur, district superintendent, exited the building. After the 30-second announcement detailing the strike's end, he re-entered the office building while the athletes hollered over their own applause.

The dozen students and handful of parents were all that remained of the 150 parents, children and members of the community who gathered after 7 p.m. Wednesday. During the evening, kids tossed footballs back and forth and chased each other around on the front lawn of the office building while their parents sat in lawn chairs or on the grass, chatting amongst themselves. Long before the settlement was struck, the crowd was bustling in celebration of an agreement they had hoped for, but didn't know was coming just yet.

Statham exited the building shortly after Arthur and to similar fanfare. With members of the media having spotted a birthday cake delivered to Statham during mediation, the students sang “Happy Birthday” after she emerged from the office building — an upbeat ending to a long night.

As Statham explained, part of the reason for mediation continuing so late was because of “comeback language” which both sides had to agree on after the contract agreement was made in the late afternoon. Specifics regarding the agreement and comeback language will be revealed after the union membership is briefed and the morning ratification vote is held.

After 15 days of striking and constant back and forth between both sides, Statham expects some animosity between the board and GEA membership.

“I imagine there are probably going to be some hurt feelings,” Statham said. “I mean going on a strike is a pretty serious thing and it will take some time for people to heal and hopefully move on. We all still have to work together, so we'll just have to get through that, and I think it will take a little while.”

Colton German, a Galesburg High School baseball player about to begin his senior year, was happy to see the strike end.

“I'm glad to see our football players can finally play,” German said. “It's just what I've been really looking forward to.”

Even after nine days of missed school, nearly eight hours of waiting Wednesday night into Thursday morning and the fear of that his friends would miss Friday's game, the first of the season, German never lost hope.

“I knew our teachers would figure it out,” German said. “Our teachers are great and the administration are trying really hard and I'm just glad it's over.”